1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf shoe attachments, and more particularly to a square-toe attachment which is releasable attached to the shoe of a golfer to aid the golfer in assuming the correct foot position in the follow-through phase of a golf swing.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In a correct golf swing, a transfer of weight distribution begins to the inside of the back leg and foot (farthest from the target). About half way through the back swing, the main weight is transferred to the inside of the back leg and foot and the hips turn automatically with the weight transfer. At the top of the backswing and before the start of the down swing, most of the weight is principally on the ball of the back foot. At the start of the down swing, a transfer of weight begins from the inside of the back leg and ball of the foot to the forward leg and ball of the foot (closest to the target) so as to drive the with the legs and the turn of the hips. At the completion or "follow-through" phase of the swing, most of the weight should have been transferred to the forward leg and ball of the foot (closest to target).
However, at the completion or "follow-through" phase of a golf swing, many golfers remain flat footed or fail to assume the proper foot position. In the proper "follow-through", the golfer should: (1) shift his or her weight toward the target, (2) touch the back knee (farthest from the target) to the front knee (closest to the target), and (3) turn the hips toward the target. These details are often forgotten, or never properly learned, but if practiced routinely, will improve the golf swing and result in greater accuracy and a more powerful swing.
At the end of the follow-through, most professional golfers will have the heel of their back foot (farthest from target) raised with only the toe portion of their shoe in contact with the ground, rather than just slightly pivoting the back foot or leaving the ball of the foot on the ground. This raised heel foot position is the position that the foot would finish if the three items listed above were executed properly and the weight was completely transferred.
There are several patents which disclose various golf shoe attachments, none of which would aid the golfer in raising the heel of their back foot (farthest from target) and placing the toe portion of their shoe in contact with the ground at the end of the follow-through.
Frisch et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,929 and Latto, U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,339 disclose plate devices which have a series of depending spikes and are removably attached to the heel and sole of a pair of street shoes to convert the street shoes into golfing shoes.
Chiroff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,079 discloses a roll bar device having an arcuate surface mounted on the metatarsal portion of the forward shoe (closest to target) which slopes toward the outside edge of the sole for assisting the pivot of the foot closest to the target during the follow-through of the golf swing. This device flexes the forward knee and pivots the forward foot and would hinder the correct weight transfer as discussed above.
O'Brien, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,075 discloses a detachable wedge-shaped device slidably mounted by pins in holes in the outer side of the sole at the metatarsal portion of the back shoe (farthest from the target) for forcing an inward tilt of the back shoe and a proper knee position. The device is adapted to be secured to conventional golf shoes, street shoes, and sport shoes which are modified to receive the sole engaging mounting pins.
Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,940 discloses a wedge-shaped bar which is attached along the outside edge of the bottom of the back shoe (farthest from the target) and causes the back shoe to tilt or slant inwardly and forwardly simultaneously. The wedge-shaped bar slopes inward toward the centerline of the foot and also slopes forward from the heel toward the ball of the foot.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a square-toe attachment for removable attachment to the front portion of the golf shoe farthest from the golfer's target. The attachment has a generally U-shaped configuration with sides which engage the inside and outside of the sole of the shoe and a rectangular front toe portion with a generally flat front wall disposed forward of the toe of the golf shoe and generally perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe which causes the golfer's foot farthest from the target to assume a generally vertical position with the heel up and toe down during the follow-through phase of a golf swing. The attachment is removably attached to the shoe by flexible straps with hook and loop fastener material which extend over the top of the shoe and is releasably secured to the bottom of the sole of the shoe by at least one of the shoe spikes. During the follow-through phase of the golf swing, as the heel of the shoe is raised during weight transfer, the attachment causes the foot to assume a generally vertical "toe-down, heel-up" position with only the toe portion of the shoe in contact with the ground. Thus, the position of the foot farthest from the target at the follow-through phase of the swing, automatically causes the golfer to shift their weight toward the target, to flex the back knee moving it very close or even to touch the front knee, and to turn the hips toward the target.